Dispenser



Aug. 3l, 1937. w. KAPFENBERQ DISPENSER` 'y Fileduay 4, 1937 ATTORNEYSPatented Aug. 3l, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSER `william.Kappenberg, Queens village, N. Y., as-

signor `to Coffee Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York LApplication May 4, 1937, Serial No. 140,612

i5 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid measuring or dispensing devices; andmore particularly it relates to devices easily constructed and free frommoving parts which dispense, a predetermined quantity oi liquid from acontainer when the containeris inverted. The new devices of theinvention may be easily andeconomically produced, and are readilyfastened to bottles or other containers as by means of screw threads provided on the neck friction joints, or by snap fastenings, or by'conlstrueting the device,at"leastin part, integrally with the container, thecontainer being provided with an enlarged or elongated neck if desiredornecessary.

The invention will be'described in detail in connection with theaccompanying drawing, which illustrates in a somewhat diagrammaticfashiona dispensing device which embodies the invention, but theinvention is not limited thereto.

In the drawing: h

Fig. l'is a sectional View oi the dispensing device attached to a bottlein an inverted position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same device in an upright position,showing the measured body of liquid ready to be discharged;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same device in an inclined position'showing how the liquid flows out; and 1 Fig. 4 is a planfview of thedevice.

VIn the drawing, there is shown a bottle IU to which the dispensingdevice is attached.' The `dispensingdevice l2 as shown consists of acylinder ld provided with internal threads I6 at the baseso it maybefastened to the bottle and lwith the upper end i8 closed, except forthe pouring spout il. Within this'shell is a longitudinal partition 20extending from the top I8 about half way to the bottom, this partitionserving to divide the upper interior of the device into two compartments22 and 24. f f

Above the threads I6 which permit the attach nient' of the device 4to abottle or the like, there isY provided a seat 26, on Which'a diaphragmor plate 28 seats. This diaphragm is provided .with an opening 30 into'which fits the tube 32 (the tube 32 may ladvantageously be integral withthe diapast the end of the partition 20.

phragm 28, as in the modication shown soithat the device as a wholeconsists of but two parts). The opening 30 and the tube 32 are offsetfrom the center of the diaphragm, so that-when in place,v with themember28 seated, the tube 32 extends into the compartment 24 a short distanceVy A g-Sket 34 of cork or other suitable material, with a properlylocated opening 3B, is cemented to the upper face of the diaphragm 28,to` provide a seal when the device is applied to a bottle or othercontainer.

The operation of the device illustrated is very simple. Assuming' thatthe device has been kplaced upon a container or bottle containing raliquid to beV dispensed in predetermined portions,` the bottle with theattached dispensing device is inverted, whereupon the liquid ilowsthrough the tube 32 into thel compartment 24, the level of liquid risingin this vcompartment to a little above the end of the tube, but belowVthe 'end oithe partition 2D, a liquid seal thus beingy formed whichVprevents any greater'outflow of liquid. When thej bottle or container isthen placed in an upright position, part of the liquidfrom the chamber24flows back through the tube 32`and the remainder is retained in thedispensing device by the dia phragm or plate 28, as shown in Fig. 2. Therelative amounts ofy liquid which will ow back into the bottle orcontainer and which will be retained in the dispensing device willdepend upon the relative area of the tubel 32 and the cross-sectionalarea of the compartment-24 surrounding it;

and these proportions can readily be adjustedso that with a given liquidcapacity of the chamber 24 a predetermined arnountof the liquidwillremain in the dispensing device whenthe containery or bottle is placedin an upright position. I

When the container or bottle,.with the measured amount of liquid in theattached dispensing device, is then tilted as in Fig. 3 with the spoutI7 down, the liquid retained in the dispensingr device will be pouredfrom the spoutl Il.y Of

course, in this operation, care should be taken that the container isnot tilted so suddenly as to throw some of the liquid to be dispensedinto the compartment 24, and also that the `device is tiltedsuiiiciently'far so thatr the necessary liquid seal is formed. As thebottle or container is tilted and inverted to dispense the lmeasuredamount of' liquid, thechamber 24 is again filled to the proper depthwith liquid with the result that the dispensing device isr again chargedwith the proper amount of liquid, sothat each time a portion of theliquid is dispensed, another equal v portion is charged to thedispensing deii.

'I'he amount of liquid to be dispensed in each portion by one of theseimproved devices may be varied widely, as by varying the length of thetube 32, or the diameter of the cylinder Il or the 5 relativecross-sectional area of the tube 32 and the compartment 24, etc. Forexample, by providing the tube 32 with an inner sliding sleeve, thedispensing device may readily be made adjustable, so that it can beadjusted, Within reasonable limits, .to dispense various amounts ofliquid in measured portions. Or the device may be made adjustable bypositioning the seat 26 somewhat further in the shell H and providingremovable rings seated thereon, so that the position of the diaphragm orplate 28 and thetube 32l may be varied with respect to the partition 20.However, it should be noted that in all cases it is essential that thetube 32 extend past the end of the partition so that necessaryliquid 20seal is formed in the chamber 24. Also, it should be noted that it isessential that the partition 20 does not extend too far towards thebottom of the dispensing device, or some of the liquid to be dispensedwill pass into the chamber 24 when 25 the container with the attacheddispensing device is tilted.

A device adjusted for the dispensing of a liq uid in measured quantitiesof about 5 cc., having a construction such as illustrated in thedrawing, may have about the following dimensions:

Inner diameter of cylinder i4, 1 inch.

Length of partition 20, 1% inches.

Distance from center line of cylinder to partition 20, 72 inch.

Overall length from tip of spout, 3 inches.

Overall length along elements opposite spout,

21% inches.

Distance from bottom or device to seat 26, 1; inch.

Inner diameter of tube 32, inch.

Length of tube 32, measured from under side of diaphragm 28, 11% inches.

Thickness of tube 32 and diaphragm 28, 115

inch.

It will be understood thatv the above dimensions are given for a deviceintended to dispense approximately 5 cc. of liquid in each operation andthat certain slight adjustments of the dimensions will be required toprovide the necessary taper for the withdrawal of the molds used incasting, if the parts are to be cast.

The device illustrated is of very simple construction, such that theparts may be readily made of brass, aluminum, plaskons, resins,

waxes, or other suitable material and are such that no expensive orintricate machine Work is required for their production, simple casting,molding, stamping, pressing, drawing or spinning operations beingsuilicient; the selection of the particular method of fabricationdepending, of course, on the type of material selected, etc.

The invention is capable of many practical embodiments, one of which hasbeen described in detail, as will be apparent to those skilled 35 in theart. For example, instead of fastening theV device to a container byinternal or external screw threads, it may be fastened by a friction t,for which a suitable gasket may be provided;

. or the container may be provided with a rim 70 or the like at the top,on which a disc, to serve as the diaphragm, fits, a speciallyconstructed cap being provided of such design as to complete thedispensing device; or, in making bottles or the like, the diaphragm andthe tube therethrough 75 may be molded within the neck', and a caphaving a partition extending at right angles to the plane of the cap maybe provided, which, when attached to the bottle or the like, completesthe dispensing device; or, the neck of the bottle itself may serve asthe inner tube, with the dispensing device of enlarged diameter to fltover the neck so that the neck extends into the proper inner compartmentof the device. The new dispensing devices are'not only useful forattachment or use with bottles and similar containers, but also for usewith paper or cardboard cartons, cans, etc., in which case they may advantageously be constructed integrally with the container, eitherexternally or internally, when the containers are manufactured, as byforming them oi' cardboard, tin, waxed paper, etc., held in place bycrimping, beading, clipping, pinching. etc., or by adhesives.

While the dispensing devices have been described With particularreference to the dispensing of liquids in measured and predeterminedportions, it is also applicable to the similar dispensing of such solidgranular materials as sugar, salt, etc.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquids or pourable solids inpredetermined portions comprising a cylindrical chamber adapted to befastened to a container, a longitudinal partition in the upper portionof said chamber dividing said upper portion into two compartments, atube communicating with the bottle or container extending past the endof said partition into one of said compartments, and a diaphragm throughwhich said tube passes separating the interior of said device from theinterior of the container to which it is attached.

2. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquids or pourable solids inpredetermined portions comprising a cylindrical chamber adapted to befastened to a container, a longitudinal partition in the upper portionof said chamber dividing said upper portion into two compartments, atube communicating with the bottle or container extending past the endof said partition into one of said compartments, an opening or spout atthe top of the other of said compartments, and a diaphragm through whichsaid tube passes separating the interior of said device from theinterior of the container to which it is attached.

3. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquids and pourable solidsin `predetermined portions comprising a cylinder with top and bottomwalls, a longitudinal inner partition dividing the upper portion of saidcylinder into two compartments, a tube opening through the bottom walland extending a short distance past the end of said partition into oneof said compartments, and an opening or spout in the other compartmentthrough which the liquid or pourable solid may be dispensed.

4. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquids and pourable solidsin predetermined portions comprising a cylinder with top and bottomwalls, a longitudinal inner partition extending from the top wall abouthalfway to the bottom Wall and dividing the upper portion of saidcylinder into two compartments, a tube opening through the bottom walland extending a short distance past the end of said partition into oneof vsaid compartments, and an opening or spout in the other compartmentthrough which the liquid or pourable solid may be dispensed.

5. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquid or pourable solidsfrom a container in pre- Cil chamber, a longitudinal partition in theupper portion of said chamber dividing said upper portion into twocompartments, a tube communicating with the container extending past theend 'lof said partition into oneof saidcompartments.

and a diaphragm through which said tube passes separating `the interiorof said device from the interior of the container.

6. A dispensing device adapted to dispense liquids or pourable solids inpredetermined portions comprising a cylindrical chamber fastened to acontainer, va. longitudinal partition in the upper portion of saidchamber dividing said upper portion into two compartments, a tubecommunicating with the bottle or container extending past the end ofsaid vpartition into one of said compartments, an opening or spout atthe top of the other of said compartments, and a diaphragm through whichsaid tube passes separating the interior of said device from theinterior of the container.

' WILLIAM KAPPENBERG.

